Bad Reputation
by Scruffy-Nerf-Hearder
Summary: Liz Mason is a bartender who after a run in with the Dixon brothers finds herself more and more drawn to the younger of the two as they become regular members of her circle of friends. What happens when she starts to have more than friendly feelings for Daryl, will her older brother approve? Will Merle approve? And will Daryl return those feelings? AU Daryl Dixon/OC story.
1. Chapter 1

_**Alright y'all, you said you'd read if I did an AU Lizzie/Daryl story, so here you go! I'm actually really excited about writing this story because I feel like there's so much more I'm going to be able to do without the zombie apocalypse happening, you know?**_

_**Disclaimer: I don't own any characters you recognize. Just my characters. Enjoy!** _

* * *

Janis Washington looked away from the window she was sitting next to in the cafeteria and smiled at Aubrey Tierney who sat down across from her. "Hey Aubrey, how're you?"

"Okay," Aubrey nodded. "I've got to check in on Mr. Wilkes in exactly twenty three minutes, and considering I didn't see a better opportunity I figured I'd better get lunch now." Aubrey sighed.

"I know the feeling." Janis nodded as she munched on her salad.

"Sometimes I wish they'd just put a little extra effort into the veggies they buy. I know they could get some way better ones that were locally grown, for not much more than they pay now." Aubrey sighed.

"Locally grown, really?" Janis asked. "You know about that stuff?"

"Sure, there's this great farmer's market, Comet and I go every weekend."

"Um, Comet?" Janis frowned lightly.

"Oh, sorry, Comet is my boyfriend." Aubrey nodded and Janis nodded in understanding.

"Oh wow, that's great. What an interesting name, is that his-"

"It's the name he chose." Aubrey nodded.

"Sometimes I used to want to do that, you know, shake it up a little, 'till Lizzie- my roommate- till she pointed out that I was named after Janis Joplin and if I wanted to shake things up, I had the perfect role model…" Janis shrugged.

"Right." Aubrey nodded, obviously she had no idea what Janis was talking about.

"Yeah, so I've got to go, but I'll see you later."

"Good luck with Mrs. Feldman. She's been a tough cookie to crack." Aubrey smiled at Janis who stood up.

"Thanks." Janis nodded. A week later Janis saw Aubrey walking down the hall and quickly followed after her, "Hey Aubrey!" Janis called.

"Oh, hey Janis." Aubrey turned around. "What's up?"

"That farmer's market you told me about was great, I just wanted to say thanks so much." Janis told Aubrey who smiled.

"Oh, glad you liked it."

"Yeah, even my roommate liked it- or, she liked the food I brought back."

"Your roommate eats your food?" Aubrey frowned and Janis nodded.

"Oh, yeah, she uh, we have an arrangement, she pays me to go shopping for her when I shop for myself because she works kind of crazy hours." Janis shrugged. "Plus, I don't know if she'd know what to buy at a grocery store if I could convince her to go."

"You _roommate_ won't go to grocery stores?"

"Well, she had a bad experience at one as a kid." Janis shrugged. "And she's more than my roommate, she's my best friend." Janis explained. "But, um, I was wondering if you and… Comet was it?" Aubrey nodded. "Right, well if you guys wanted to come over to my place this Saturday for lunch?"

"Will your _roommate_ mind?" Aubrey asked and Janis chuckled.

"Yeah, she's not going to be home, she's going out with her brother for the weekend. This family bonding thing they do, I went once... Not really my thing." Janis shrugged.

"Well, Comet and I are going to our friend's daughter's awakening." Aubrey nodded and Janis frowned lightly.

"Her uh… Awakening? Was she in like a coma or something?" Janis asked.

"No," Aubrey chuckled. "An awakening is when one soul has completed a cycle of experience and is ready to experience a whole new level of experience."

"So it's a birthday?" Janis asked.

"Essentially, yes, but it's much more than that." Aubrey nodded, before adding. "But we are free on Sunday."

"Sunday? Great! Yeah, that works, for sure."

"Should we say two o'clock? We can have a late lunch."

"Sure, that sounds great." Janis nodded.

"Oh, uh, just so you know, Comet and I are vegans."

"Right, cool, no problem." Janis nodded.

"Great, we'll see you Sunday." Aubrey smiled before walking away.

That Sunday Janis had cleaned the house and had dropped plenty of money at the grocery store and had her mother over to help prepare the vegan feast. She could only imagine what Lizzie would have to say if she had been there and Janis sighed as she rolled her eyes. Janis did a quick check that her outfit still looked okay, her floral dress and crème flats were fine, and she hadn't done anything spectacular with her honey blonde hair, just let it out loose about her shoulders. There was a knock on the door and she looked towards the living room before smoothing her dress down one more time and then going to the door.

"Hi Aubrey!" Janis smiled as the dark haired girl who stood on the other side of the door. Janis was so used to seeing Aubrey in scrubs she almost didn't recognize the girl on the other side of her door, Aubrey was wearing a pair of black leggings under a pair of denim shorts, a Ramones tee shirt and a red infinity scarf wrapped around her neck a few times. "Wow, you look great." Janis grinned as Aubrey and who Janis assumed to be Comet walked in.

"Janis, this is Comet, my spirit guide, and partner." Aubrey looked at Comet who was a tallish skinny guy with black hair, and black stubble on his face, he was wearing a pair of skinny jeans and a Ramones tee as well as a blue and white infinity scarf.

"Nice to meet you." Janis smiled.

"We brought dandelion salad." Comet held up a bowl with saran wrap over it.

"And zucchini nut quinoa muffins for desert." Aubrey held up the plate she was holding.

"Oh, wow, you guys didn't have to do that, that's so sweet." Janis grinned. "Well, here, bring those into the kitchen and I'll show you what I made. We've got vegan guacamole and salsa, and some blue corn chips, and I made spring rolls with peanut sauce, and um, fried tofu with peppers and onions." Janis told them as Comet put down the bowl of dandelion salad. He took the saran wrap and laid it on the counter and Aubrey did the same with the saran wrap off of the muffins she had brought.

"What dandelion salad wouldn't be complete without dandelion wine?" Comet pulled some out from his bag and Janis got down wine glasses.

As they sat in the living room talking and listening to music, Janis couldn't help but realize that these two were seriously the most pretentious people alive. From talking about the sciences and reasons left brained people could only be with left brained people and vice versa, to discussing why Janis would feel so much more alive when she not only started eating vegan, but realized even simple things like what music she listened to were bringing her spirit down. After awhile it was pretty obvious they were going to finish the bottle of dandelion wine, which Janis was still on her first glass of, before they even thought of leaving. Comet had just come back from the bathroom and was talking about how much better it would be if Janis swapped to Glycerin soap when the front door opened.

Lizzie Mason looked like hell. She was covered in dried and still wet mud, her hair was stuffed into a cap, her face was smeared with mud and a little blood, as were her knees, her boots, and her hands. On her right hip there was a knife strapped to her thigh, and over her left shoulder was a rifle. For a moment Janis wished she had a camera on Aubrey and Comet's horrified faces. Lizzie hardly paid they any attention though, walking through the living room, tracking mud, but at this point Janis didn't care, she was far too busy watching where this was going. Lizzie took off the rifle- Janis knew it wasn't loaded, she and Lizzie had an agreement, the bullets stayed with Lizzie's brother Cal, but neither Aubrey nor Comet knew that.

Lizzie put her backpack down on a kitchen chair and Lizzie pulled a thick black skillet out from a cabinet before putting it on the stove. She turned on the burner and then poured some oil into the skillet, before opening the refrigerator. She pulled out the sliced onions Janis had cut earlier that afternoon and without looking to Janis to see if it was okay, dumped them into the oil. The onions sizzled when they hit the oil, but that was virtually the only sound in the apartment, that is of course, until Lizzie opened her bag and pulled out two black plastic bags, one of which she opened, and drew what looked like a plastic bag you'd get when you buy a fish at a carnival, however there was a deep red organ in the bag covered in some sort of solution. Aubrey and Comet were officially horrified and Janis was internally grinning as

Lizzie put the bag down in the sink and then drew her blood covered knife.

She cut open the bag and pulled the liver out, her hands still covered in mud and blood, and no one speaking as Lizzie started to cut the liver into small slices. When she finished she went to the fridge and pulled out a bag of store bought pre sliced mushrooms and dumped them into the oil and onion mixture. She dropped slices of liver into the pan as well and flipped them over a few times before she grabbed a bottle of vermouth and poured some into the pan. After the vermouth she got a bottle of whiskey and after taking a sizeable (_From_ the bottle) and poured a heavy amount into the pan as well before picking up a book of matches. She looked over at Janis who grinned as Lizzie struck a match and then lit the pan of food on fire.

When the alcohol cooked off Lizzie grabbed a carton of cream from the fridge and poured a little in before putting a lid over the sautéing liver. She looked at all of the food in the kitchen for the first time before picking up a zucchini quinoa muffin (_Without_ _washing her hands_, Aubrey might add) and took a bite of it before letting the bite fall from her mouth into the sink she was standing over. "Excuse me?" Aubrey spoke up after a moment and Lizzie looked at her. "What's going on here?"

"Aubrey, this is my roommate, Lizzie. Lizzie, this is Aubrey, she works at the hospital with me, and that's her boyfriend, Comet." Lizzie snorted as she looked at Comet who frowned and grabbed Aubrey's hand.

"You just, waltz in here and- and- and start with that practically ritualistic slaughter?! I bet you killed that.. whatever it was too, didn't you?" Aubrey asked and when Lizzie didn't answer she huffed and crossed her arms. "That's sick. You're sick. How could you just come in here and start cooking that?" Lizzie looked at Janis and then nodded to Aubrey as if silently asking if she was serious. Janis simply shrugged and Lizzie returned the gesture before looking at Aubrey

"Damn girl, don't get yer panties in a twist," Lizzie spoke finally as she unwrapped her knife sheath from her waist. "There's plenty fer everyone."

* * *

The thing about the Silver Spoon not many people realized was the further you sat away from the door, the tougher you tended to be. That went for sitting at the bar was well. The whole bar was longer than it was wide, though it was wide enough for people to comfortably play pool in the middle of the bar. The pool table was almost a safe zone, unless of course some newbie from the front of the bar tried to join a group of guys from the back of the bar. Towards the back of the bar there was more seating. The type of people who made it to the back of the bar usually stayed all night. When I first started working there, Patty, my manager, she told me you could tell if someone was going to be a problem based on three things.

Where they sat. According to her the guys in the back were always a problem. At first I'd totally agree with her, but then later working there I'd start to realize she was wrong. The guys in the back weren't the problem; in fact the guys in the back were the ones who stopped problems from getting worse. It was usually the guys in the middle or in the front who started the problems as in a misconceived notion that it would make them appear to be tougher to the guys in the back. It usually ended with them getting the shit kicked out of them.

What someone ordered. I'll stand by that still. You can judge someone pretty well based off of what they order to drink.

Whether or not they came in alone. This could go either way. The biker guys who came in with friends usually tipped pretty well because they didn't want their friends to think they were assholes, whereas when college kids came back into town and found themselves kicked out of the local sports bar for being too rowdy they'd usually end up in the front group of the Silver Spoon. Those guys were fucking assholes. Guys who came in alone were hardly an issue. Usually they just wanted a drink, listen to some music, or play a game of pool with some of the other lone wolves at the bar, once or twice we had someone in a particularly sour mood, just got fired from work, found out their significant other was cheating on them, etc. and those people were the ones that people usually started fights with.

The night I met the Dixons, was the night I really started to understand the "Three Commandments" as Patty called them, even though that name really made no sense.

I never understood Janis' obsession for trying to get me to dress up for my job. Most people think that flashing your tits will get you better tips, at least some of the waitresses thought that, but in reality, it was a little more simple than that, as I was learning. It was still only my first month at the Silver Spoon, I had turned twenty one six months before and then decided to quit my job as a waitress at the King County Café and get a job at the Silver Spoon. Patty hired me not because she thought I had potential, but because she knew who my brother was. The Mason reputation that had made it so hard for me to find work everywhere else had finally landed me a job. Sometimes I felt like they had been holding the job for a Mason, like it was a matter of time before one of us went wandering in there, and if people in King County knew there was a Mason working the bar, then that would somehow tell people what they needed to know about what type of bar it was.

The real secret behind getting tips I was figuring out, was remembering people. Remembering names was okay, but for the regulars there, those type of people had a regular spot, and to go with it, a regular drink. Be it a shot of whiskey and a slice of jerky, or rum with a splash of coke, whatever it was, people liked it when you not only recognized them, but made their drink without asking. It didn't matter what you wore, for the most part I wore tee shirts and jeans with a pair of boots or converse, but sometimes, on the weekends, to humor Janis, I'd wear one of the cutesy shirts she'd buy me when we went shopping and decided she needed to try to get me to dress more feminine, because according to her, if I wanted to meet guys I'd have to start dressing differently.

When Cal came in that night he wasn't alone, my brother is hard to miss in a crowd, he's tall, broad shouldered with fiery red hair, a pointed face, and just had this presence, some people said that prison changed him the first time, and the second time it made him start living by prison rules. I don't think that's true, but Cal definitely had a different way of looking at things than different people, and he carried himself differently than most people I knew. No one messed with Cal because of it, though I suppose that it didn't hurt most people knew Cal's reputation.

When him and two other guys walked into the bar, they decided to forgo the usual starting out at the front of the bar bullshit a lot of people did, and walked straight to the back of the bar, getting themselves a table. I walked over to Cal as he walked to the bar and nodded to me. "Who're your friends?" I asked nodding to the table.

"Remember Merle Dixon?" he asked.

"That a serious question?" I asked.

"He was my cellmate." He offered and I looked over at Merle.

"What was he in for?" I asked.

"Drugs." He shrugged.

"You may'a mentioned him." I shrugged. "What do ya'll want ta drink?"

"Why don't you start us off with a pitcher of Terrapin?"

"You askin' or ordering?" I asked with a small smile.

"Don't forget the three glasses, and start us a tab."

"You got it." I said sarcastically as I started to pour the beer while he returned to his table.

"You wanna take them Lizzie?" Cathie, the waitress for that section asked when I put the beer and glasses on a tray. She intimidated really easily and wouldn't last much longer at the bar, rather going to work for the King County Café where the clientele was a little more tamed.

"Yeah alright." I stepped out from behind the bar and carried the drinks over to the table.

"Since when're you a waitress?" Cal asked as I set the tray down.

"Since Cathie's too chicken shit ta come over here." I told him honestly as I set his beer in front of him.

"What about you little girl?" the older of the two guys who had come in with Cal asked. "You scared'a' ole Merle?" his voice was kind of rough but a little amused.

"Evidently not." I replied as I put his beer in front of him. He was older, maybe in his late forties, early fifties, and had a slightly weathered look to him, a receding hairline, but he kept his lightly colored hair real short. He was a thicker guy, not fat or anything; he just had a thick build. He grinned as I put his drink in front of him and then looked to the last guy at the table, he was younger than Merle, and maybe a few years younger than Cal, a younger face, with light brown hair, and bright blue eyes that seemed to watch my every move as I put his beer down.

"Mere, this is my sister," Cal was saying as I set the beers down. "Lizzie, this is Merle Dixon, and his brother Daryl." He nodded to the younger guy and I nodded to them both, these weren't the types of guys to waste time on handshakes.

"So you're the lil chit got Cal sent back ta prison huh?" Merle nodded to me and I raised my eyebrows before looking at Cal.

"You wanna take that one or should I?" I asked sarcastically before I put the tray under my arm and walked back to the bar.

After another pitcher of beer the buys ordered four shots. Company policy dictated when a customer bought you a shot, you had to do it. When I brought them over Merle stood up and leaned over me as I set the tray down. "Why dontcha come sit with ole Merle? I jus' got outta prison, we could have us a little fun." He drawled in my ear.

"Leave 'er be Merle." Daryl spoke for the first time I had heard, not that I had been spending much time listening to them. There was a group of rowdy boys I had gone to high school with who were back in town at the front of the bar who thought "It was fate" they had come into the Silver Spoon and run into me. It was obvious they had started strong at the K.C. Sports Bar and had been kicked out before they decided it was time to go home.

"What 'fer Daryl? Ya got a hard on fer Cal's sister?" Merle slurred. "That's his sister man."

"You ain't treatin' her any better brother." Cal pointed out, his voice taking a low, warning tone.

"Man I'm just kiddin'." Merle told Cal as he sat down. "Ain't no one 'round got a sense uh humor but you lil' girl." He nodded to me and I paused before handing him his shot.

"Who's driving tonight?" I asked.

"We're takin' a cab back to my place. Jennie's at her sister's place so they're crashin' with me." Cal told me and I nodded before handing out the shots.

"You can drink on the job?" Daryl asked and I scoffed.

"Ain't allowed ta turn down a drink if the customer's buyin'." I shrugged, before holding up my shot.

"Ta getting' the fuck outta prison." Merle said before throwing back his shot. I tossed mine down quickly, and then took a sip of Cal's beer to wash it down.

"Well, that was fun." I took the empty shot glasses. "Let me know when ya'll need more beer." I took them back to the bar and gave them to my bar back.

"Lizzie, it's time for your break." Patty reminded me about twenty minutes later. I nodded and grabbed my pack of cigarettes and lighter before walking outside. I went to the side of the bar, towards the alley, and lit up a cigarette, and inhaled deeply, before leaning on the railing outside as I exhaled the smoke.

"Hey," I looked over as Merle's brother walked towards me. "Can I bum one'a those?" I held out the pack and he took one and I handed him my lighter. He lit his cigarette and then handed me the bright yellow bic lighter. "Cal says it's your first week workin' here."

"Cal can't tell time for shit." I scoffed. "Been three weeks now."

"Merle got out three days 'go" he told me as I took the cigarette from my mouth and raised my eyebrows.

"How long was he in?"

"Seven years." He told me and I let out a low whistle.

The rest of my break was silent as I finished my cigarette and then flicked the butt towards the parking lot. "See ya in there." I told Daryl before walking back into the bar. I put my pack and lighter back in my purse and then took my place behind the bar.

"Hey, Lizzie, come on over here and have a drink." Peter White called about twenty minutes later from where he was sitting with his friends.

"Yeeeah, jus' like ole times huh Lizzie?" Bryant James called.

"No, guys, I'm good." I told them.

"Come on girl, Jager shots. We're buying!" I groaned internally knowing Patty was listening from her office and if she heard me turn them down, she'd come out there and _insist_ I listen to them. And it was never fun when Patty insisted things. I poured the shots and brought them over before one of the guys pulled out a chair.

"Siddown." He slurred and I sighed before sitting down gingerly. He wrapped his arm around my shoulders and I shot him a look as he pressed the jager shot into my hand. "To Lizzie," he held up the shot, and spoke loudly. "The one girl we all wanna get with." He grinned and the guys snorted before taking their shots. I held mine, glaring at him before he poked my side. "Come on girl, I'm buyin' you gotta do the shot." I sighed and then did the shot before standing up quickly. "Woah woah woah." He grabbed my waist and pulled me back down. "Where's the fire girl?"

"I've got to get back to work." I told him.

"Ain't no one orderin' drinks." He scoffed. "No, you jus' sit right here with us for a minute." He nodded as he pulled me close to him. "No, now, Lizzie, I gotta question for ya. Now see us guys, we been talkin' bout it. And what with your reputation in high school, we been thinkin' that rep musta come from somewhere huh?" he asked and I clenched my jaw.

"It came from Olive Nelson being an uppity bitch." I muttered harshly.

"That ain't it though," Bryant scoffed as the other guys laughed slightly. "No, now, Lizzie," his hands started to travel up my waist. "How's about you an' me an' the guys go back ta my place, and we go see whicha them rumors was true, huh?" he asked, before I elbowed him in the chest. I stood up quickly, making him do the same. "How much it cost, huh bitch?" he grabbed my arm and pulled me back.

"Get off me." I warned as I tried to pull back.

"How much it cost huh? How much you gonna charge an ol' friend, how much for me an' my boys? Thousand? Two thousand? You know I'm good for the money. Think 'bout it Lizzie, two thousand bucks for us, we gonna keep you busy all night girl, we heard plenty uh rumors 'bout you, we gonna need all night to test 'em all out."

"What rumors you hear 'bout me?" Cal asked from where he was sitting. They looked over as he stood up and crossed the bar. His heavy motorcycle boots thumped dramatically as he walked over. "Come on boys, ya'll heard rumors 'bout her. Wha'd you hear 'bout me?" he asked as he looked them over.

"You uh, killed a guy." Patrick Lancaster spoke up.

"Pat." Peter hissed.

"No, no, it's alright." Cal shook his head. "Naw, see, I ain't never killed him. But I sure as shit tried. You wanna know why?" he asked and looked at Bryant. "For puttin' his hands on my girl." He snapped and Bryant's hands dropped. "Y'all wanna know somethin'? Prison don't bother me as much as you four do." He growled. "Now I'm gonna let you stay, but that's just cuz' she's workin' the closin' shift, and if y'all are still buyin' drinks, you're rackin' up quite a tab. Meanin' she gets quite a tip at the end uh the night, an you are gonna tip. Twenty five percent." They groaned and Cal shot them a look. "Now you best consider this the last time any'a y'all ever think'a comin' in here." He looked at them sharply. "Cuz if I hear y'all are in here, and I will hear, you can bet I ain't gonna be happy. And don't ya even think of orderin' from her directly, you order through Cathie for the rest of the night." He added. "Elle, get us another pitcher."

"No problem." I sighed as I walked over to the bar. Patty was looking out the door of her office watching the scene unfold.

"Those boys a problem?" she asked and I scoffed as I looked over my shoulder.

"Not anymore." I told her before going to the tap and filling another pitcher of beer for Cal, who walked over and picked it up.

"Ya'alright?" he asked and I nodded.

"You didn't have ta-"

"Hey, ain't no one compares ya ta momma and gets away with it, yahear?" he asked and I nodded.

"Thanks." I nodded and he grinned before walking back to his table.

I was walking out of the bathroom awhile later, close to one am, when someone walked over to me. "Lizzie," I looked at David Brentwood who stepped over to me. "Look, I just wanna say I'm sorry for Bryant."

"When are you gonna get tired of apologizin' for him, or ya gonna keep it up your whole life?" I asked and he scoffed with a light smile.

"Believe it or not, I don't plan on it." He shrugged. "He just doesn't know when to quit, ya know?" he shrugged and it was my turn to scoff.

"That ain't all he don't know how ta do." I tried to step around him.

"No, look-" he stepped in front of me. "I'm not just apologizing for him, I'm sorry, I really am."

"You ain't got nothin' ta be sorry about, except the fact you hang out with an asshole." I told him as I tried to step to the side, but he stepped in front of me again. "You keep doin this you are gonna have somethin' ta be sorry about." I told him.

"No, look, He only started picking on you because of me."

"Because of you?" I repeated in disbelief. "You put him up to it?"

"No! No, I mean, there's a reason we come here, haven't you wondered why we keep coming here when we're in town?"

"Same reason all'a you college kids come here when you come ta town? See what it's like on the inside and take a walk on the wild side?" I asked sarcastically.

"No, well, maybe a little, but, not me." He shook his head. "I just wanna see you." He told me and I scoffed.

"Alright, I'm goin' back ta work." I tried moving past him, but he cut me off again.

"No, Lizzie, look, I know I was a jerk to you in school, and I could have handled that situation better, but, I've always liked you, and, well, I'm in school now, and I'm making money, and, I could get you away from all this, you know, help you out." He smiled, looking proud of himself.

"Okay, I don't know what the hell you're talkin' 'bout, but this, it ain't never gonna happen." I shook my head as I tried to step around him.

"Well give me one good reason why not." He protested.

"Man you must have a death wish," someone grabbed David and slammed him up against the wall. "Or do you not understand don't talk ta her again?" Daryl growled harshly in David's face.

"No, no, no, wait, we're just talking." David protested as Daryl held him against the wall by his shirt. "Lizzie tell him."

"He was offering to take me away from all this and set me up and help me out because he makes money." I told Daryl who frowned and looked at me, confused. "You came to apologize for your friend treatin' me like a whore, before turnin' around and doin' the same thing."

"No, _no_, I wasn't." he looked at Daryl quickly who tightened his grip on David's shirt.

"Get your friends and get the fuck outta this bar." Daryl shoved David away, making him stumble.

"This shirt costs more than you make in a week man." David whined and Daryl stepped towards him.

"Maybe it'll cover your hospital bills." He threatened and David scampered away.

"Well," I sighed as I looked at Daryl. "I'm slightly more impressed than I am with most of Cal's friends." I told him. "You didn't have to do that though."

"You didn't haveta take it." He shrugged as he leaned on the wall.

"Where'd your brother run off to? Didn't think he'd let his brother walk away from a fight."

"Left with that Patty woman." He waved his hand towards the bar. "'N that Jamie chick came fer Cal."

"Jennie? Thought she was staying with her sister."

"I dunno, they got in a fight, she looked pissed when she was here." He shrugged.

"Well I hope they didn't leave you with the check." I joked and he shook his head.

"Naw they took care'a it before they left." He shook his head.

"Well, let me buy you a drink." I offered.

"Ain't that against the rules?" he asked and I shrugged.

"Patty left with Merle." I pointed out. "Ain't no one 'round to enforce the rules." He seemed to think about that for a minute before he nodded. He followed me back to the bar and shot David a glare as David was paying their bar tab. I poured him a drink and slid it across the bar to him before I started to wind things down. By the time my shift ended, one of the other waitresses, Donna told me I could go. "So, if you were going to crash with my brother, where are you staying tonight?" I asked Daryl as he walked me out of the bar. I lit up a cigarette and then offered one to him. He took it and I held up my lighter, my hand wobbling slightly, making him grab it with his rough hands, to hold it steady so he could light his cigarette.

"Probably just stay in my truck." He said after a moment of thought.

"That sucks." I frowned. He didn't say anything and I looked at him. "I think I need another drink."

"There another bar?" he asked.

"I wish, I just wanna go all night, you know?" I asked. "Shit. Well, I know I need another drink." I looked at my pack. "And cigarettes, I need more of those, and you need another drink, and a place to crash, so why don't you crash at my place?"

"I slept in my truck before."

"Come on, I don't drink alone, and you don't get charged for the good shit at my place." I told him and he snorted.

"You okay to drive?" he asked.

"Are you?" I asked and he shook his head.

"Nah." He admitted.

"That's fine; I just live a few blocks down, come on." I took his hand in my drunken state and pulled him along with me towards the apartment Janis and I shared. "There's a liquor store on the way." I added.

* * *

_**Okay just so y'all know, I'm not saying all vegan people act like Aubrey and Comet, but Aubrey and Comet do. Just so you guys don't think I'm hating on vegans or anything. It's just how THOSE vegans are. **_

_**Anyways, what do y'all think? New side of Lizzie and Daryl, new story, and we get to see Janis. I think that's one of the things I'm most excited about, getting to see Janis and Lizzie interact more than just in flashbacks, and getting to see Daryl and Janis interact. Anyways, hope y'all enjoyed this chapter!**_

_**Please don't forget to review!** _


	2. Chapter 2

_**Hey y'all I just wanted to say thanks so much for the support, I'm so happy you seem to be liking the story so far! Also, if you guys aren't following me on Tumblr, the link to my Tumblr is on my profile page, and I've just started using instagram, so if you're on there, you should follow me, Dakota1635- okay, I swear, that's enough of the self promotion.** _

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When I woke up it was to the smell of bacon frying, and coffee brewing. I sat up and then groaned, lying back down. I looked at my bedside table and grabbed the bottle of Ibuprofen Janis had left there. I twisted the cap a few times before sighing in frustration and getting out of bed. I ran a hand through my hair and grabbed my cigarettes before walking out to the kitchen. Our apartment had kind of an interesting shape, though I guess it was designed so people who lived there had a little privacy from each other.

When you walked in the front door, you were in the living room. Janis had somehow managed to talk me into painting the living room light blue once we had moved in, because it went with the yellow couch her parents had bought us. It was a lot better than the kitchen to be honest though, the kitchen was last renovated in the 70's, and still had a mustard yellow fridge and stove, with white cabinets, and wood paneling halfway up the wall. The other half of the wall was white too, but the wood pissed me off. It was just so crappy looking. On either side of the kitchen was a hallway, one leading to one bedroom, the other leading to another bedroom and a bathroom. Janis lived on the side of the apartment with the bedroom and bathroom, which meant if I needed to go to the bathroom I had to walk to her side of the apartment, but it didn't really matter to me. Everywhere but the kitchen and bathroom had thick white carpeting which meant we had to vacuum all the time.

I walked to the kitchen and wordlessly handed Janis the bottle of Ibuprofen. "Rough night?" she teased and I scoffed as I poured myself a cup of coffee.

"You could say that." I mumbled.

"Here," she handed me three of the little orange pills and I swallowed them eagerly. "So, now that you've had you pills and coffee- are you aware there's a guy sleeping on the couch?" she asked and I nodded.

"Yup." I replied easily.

"Oh good, just making sure." She put some bacon onto a plate and handed it to me.

"Ugh, just marry me already." I sighed as I took a bite of my scrambled eggs.

"You know my parents wouldn't be surprised." She laughed.

"I know, they already think uh me as one'a theirs."

"So who is he?"

"Hm? Oh, his name's Daryl."

"Did you guys…"

"Yeah Jani, then I sent him ta sleep on the couch." I rolled my eyes.

"Okay, touché," she laughed. "Who is he though? I'd leave it alone, but I'm just not accustom to you bringing home guys and letting them sleep on our couch."

"He's a friend of Cal's." I told her. "The brother'a Cal's cellmate."

"And he's here because…?"

"Because we got shitfaced, and I owed him. He was gonna stay at Cal's, but Jennie came home early and his brother ditched him and left with Patty, so he was gonna sleep in his truck."

"So how did you owe him?" she asked curiously as I munched on my bacon.

"Remember David Brentwood?"

"Sure."

"Well, him and some'a the other Hitler youth were at the bar last night, runnin' their mouths, David tried to get a little handsy with me by the bathroom, and Daryl put a stop to it." I shrugged before taking a large drink of coffee.

"Well shit Lizzie, I'm sorry I wasn't there."

"Don't be, they'da just been assholes to you too." I told her before looking up as Daryl walked in. "Hey."

"Hey." He replied and I nodded to the coffee pot.

"There's coffee." I told him and he walked over to it and poured himself a cup.

"Here," Janis jumped up, suddenly realizing that she wasn't hosting. "Have some Ibuprofen," she opened the bottle and handed him some pills, and then quickly put together a plate of scrambled eggs, and bacon before putting another bagel into the toaster.

"Uh, thanks." Daryl nodded to her.

"No problem, go ahead, sit." She waved to the table. He shot me a look and I nodded.

"Best do what she says." I told him and he sat down. "Sorry the couch don't pull out or nothin', I mean, it's comfortable, but it ain't a full bed."

"Better'n' my truck." He told me. "They don't tow from the Silver Spoon do they?"

"Nah." I shook my head. "I mean, unless you park there for days on end without moving your car, then they do, but not for one night."

"Should go get my truck an' try ta find Merle." He mumbled.

"Well you can do that after you eat. Lizzie's got to go get her car too." Janis nodded to me and I rolled my eyes.

"She ain't gonna let you leave 'less you eat. She's weird like that." I shrugged before taking another drink of coffee.

"Where are you going?" Janis asked as I stood up.

"Going for a smoke." I frowned as I held up my pack. She looked from me to Daryl and then back to me and I rolled my eyes. "Daryl, that's Janis, Janis, Daryl. Now ya'll know each other." I told them both before going to the front door and walking out. I leaned on the railing of the second story apartment and looked out at the parking lot as I stuck a cigarette into my mouth and tried my lighter. It took a couple tries before I managed to light my smoke. A minute later Daryl walked outside. I offered him a cigarette and he took it before trying my lighter. He shook it a few times and then sighed deeply. "Here," I leaned towards him with my cigarette still in my mouth. He caught my meaning and leaned forward, letting the tips of our smokes touch, lighting his cigarette off of mine.

"Thanks." We were silent for a bit, smoking before Daryl nodded to the apartment. "Nice place."

"Thanks." I replied.

"How long you been there?"

"About two years now." I said after a moment of thought.

"You and Janis…" he trailed off and I looked at him, before catching his meaning.

"Nah, we ain't dykes." I shook my head. "Lotta people think we are, but she's gotta boyfriend."

"'Bout you?" he asked and I shrugged.

"Had one." I replied. "'Till he found somethin' better." I looked back at him. "'Bout you? Girlfriend gonna be pissed you spent the night at another girl's?"

"Ain't got one." He told me and I nodded as I flicked the ash off the tip of my cigarette. "Work tonight?"

"Nah, thank god." I shook my head. "Though Patty'll probably call me in."

"She do that a lot?"

"I think she wants me to get as much experience as I can." I told him.

"Smart."

"I guess." I exhaled a lung full of smoke. "How 'bout you, what do you do?"

"Construction mostly." He replied. "Whatever needs ta be done."

"Sounds like good work."

"It can be." He replied before looking at his phone. "Shit, best call Merle."

"I'll go get dressed and I'll walk with you to the cars." I told him and he nodded before I stomped out my cigarette and walked into the apartment.

"He's kinda cute isn't he?" Janis asked and I shrugged.

"I dunno, I guess."

"Oh come on, like you haven't noticed." She scoffed.

"I ain't exactly lookin'." I shrugged. "'Sides that, he's Cal's friend." I scoffed.

"Yeah, that would be a little weird wouldn't it?" she asked and I nodded. I went to my room and undressed before pulling on a pair of jeans and a simple green wife beater. I went to the bathroom and put on deodorant, brushed my teeth, washed my face and brushed my hair into a ponytail before going back to my room when I realized I forgot to put on shoes. I slipped on my shoes, and grabbed my cell phone, car keys and wallet and sunglasses before walking out of my room. I finished the cup of coffee as Daryl pulled his boots on in the living room.

"Thanks for the uh, breakfast." Daryl said to Janis who smiled.

"Anytime." She grinned.

"Back later." I told her and she nodded as I walked out of the apartment, followed by Daryl. "Get 'hold uh Merle?" I asked Daryl who shook his head.

"Still sleepin' it off I guess." He shrugged.

"Oh, wait, I need to stop in here." I nodded to the liquor store on the corner of our street. We stepped inside and Daryl walked up to the counter while I looked at lighters.

"Pack of Marlboros, and her lighter." He pointed his thumb at me and I looked over at him.

"You don't gotta buy my lighter." I told him as he handed the guy behind the counter a ten. The guy handed him his cigarettes and his change and Daryl stepped towards the door. I followed him out and he packed his cigarettes against the ball of his hand. He put one in between his lips and nodded to me. I held my lighter out and he held my hand up to his cigarette for a moment as he lit it before offering me one of his.

"I'll stick with mine, thanks." I told him and he nodded. We got to the Silver Spoon about five minutes later, but only because we were walking slowly because of our hangovers.

"Time they open?" Daryl nodded to the bar.

"Two." I replied. "Two till two."

"That ain't bad."

"Had worse shifts."

"You work twelve hour shifts?" Daryl asked and I shrugged.

"Sometimes." I replied before his cell phone rang. He pulled it out of his pocket and flipped it open.

"Hey." He answered as he stepped away. I leaned on the hood of my car, smoking my cigarette, until he got back. I was stomping out my cigarette butt when he walked over.

"That Merle?" I asked and he nodded.

"He's gonna be here in a bit." He told me.

"Oh good." I nodded. "So do you want me to hang around and wait?"

"You ain't gotta." He told me and I shrugged.

"Either way." I told him and he thought for a moment.

"Merle ain't in the best mood right now. Might not wanna see him like that." He admitted and I nodded.

"I know the feeling." I told him. "Well, thanks again you know… Last night." I shrugged awkwardly.

"He messes with ya 'gain, let me know." He offered and I smiled lightly.

"Well if Merle'n Cal're friends, I'm sure I'll be seein' you 'round here again." I told him before I went to my car. I got into the car and turned the key in the ignition, it clicked a few times, but the engine didn't turn over. I groaned and tried it again, nothing happened. I tried again and then sighed. Daryl was watching, he walked over to the hood and knocked on it before pointing his thumb up, gesturing for me to pop the hood. I leaned down and pulled the lever by my feet and he opened the hood, propping it open with the metal bar that held it up. "You know anything about car engines?" I asked as I got out of the car. "'Cuz I can get AAA out here."

"Toldja I do what needs ta be done." He replied as he looked at the engine. "See that, you're cables ain't hooked up right." He pointed to the battery.

"So should I call AAA?"

"Nah." He shook his head. "I ain't gonna be able to fix it long term, not without the right parts, but I'll get it runnin' again." He looked at me before moving to his truck. He opened the box in the back of the truck and pulled out some tools. He started to work on my car and I watched him before clearing my throat.

"Need any help or anythin'?" I asked and he shook his head as he silently worked. He gestured me over after a moment.

"This connector's getting' real old," he told me. "There's a crack in it on the side, it's makin' the connection real crappy."

"What's that stuff on the other one?" I asked pointing to the other cable, where some sort of buildup was all over the connector.

"Corrosion, that's easy ta get rid of though." He explained. "What ya do is ya get a bottle of tap water, add like four or five spoons of baking soda and pour it on there, it'll eat away the corrosion- do that a couple of times too." He added.

"What about the connector?" I asked.

"I gotta get Merle back home, but I can come work on it on Sunday." He offered after a moment of thought.

"Daryl, you don't gotta-"

"Any shop's gonna overcharge." He told me. "Get a part for five bucks at auto zone, charge you a hundred and five for labor."

"So how much you gonna charge me?" I asked.

"Parts." He said after a moment of thought.

"That's all you're gonna charge?" I asked skeptically.

"All it's worth." He shrugged and I sighed after a moment of thought.

"Sunday night?" I asked and he nodded before Patty's 1998 Plymouth Neon pulled up. Merle got out of the little red car and Patty got out of the driver's seat.

"Oh good, you're here," she looked at me and I sighed darkly. "You can help restock the bar."

"You got it Patty." I nodded and she unlocked the bar.

"Quit chasin' the tail baby brother and let's get us home." Merle barked towards Daryl who flushed lightly.

"Gimme a minute Merle." He replied before he finished whatever he was doing to my engine. "Give it a try." He offered. I got into the driver's seat and turned the key, the engine flipped over, before coming to life. Daryl looked pleased as I turned off the car and he slammed the hood shut.

"Yeah us Dixon boys're god with our hands. Ask yer friend Patty there huh Sugar tits." Merle winked at me and I raised an eyebrow.

"What would Cal think of you talking to me like that?" I asked and Merle let out a bark like laugh.

"You ain't gonna tell him."

"What makes you so sure."

"If you told him, you won't get ta see Darylina again," Merle told me, a mocking smirk playing on his lips. "Not that you're pickin' the right brother girlie, Daryl ain't-"

"We're going." Daryl snapped at his brother before walking over to the truck while Merle cackled.

"See ya 'round Sugar Tits." Merle winked at me before Daryl got into the truck and drove away.

* * *

"Hey," I knocked on Janis' door before pushing it open a few days later. "You wanna go to Cal's for dinner?"

"What's he making?" she asked.

"Burgers with him, Jennie, and her kids." I told her and she thought for a moment before nodding.

"Sure." She agreed.

After changing she and I got into her car and drove over to Cal's house. He had a small place outside of town with a lot of land, it had apparently been in our family for years, and since Momma didn't use it, choosing to stay in the double wide I had grown up in, Cal started living there once he got back from prison. I asked him why he didn't move there sooner, and he said it was because he thought I'd be safer with momma and Eric around.

When we got there I frowned seeing the piece of shit dodge dart out front. I slammed the door to the car when I got out and looked at the car before looking at the house. "We don't have to go in." Janis offered.

"Please, she knows we're here." I muttered. "If we don't go in, she wins." With that we walked up to the house and I knocked before walking in.

"Hey Lizzie." Jennie smiled from the couch. Jennie was a pretty girl, petite, brunette, she had a round face, the only place she hadn't been able to take weight off of when she lost weight running track in high school, at least that's what she told us.

"Hey Jen." I smiled at her as my eyes landed on the graying woman sitting on the couch.

"You just gonna stare or are you gonna say hello?" her voice was rough as she lit her cigarette.

"Mommy says it's bad to smoke in the house." Jennie's daughter Fiona piped up. Momma just stared at me as I stared at her.

"Well?"

"Sorry, I stopped listening to you when I was fifteen, did you say something?" I asked and she scoffed before nodding to Janis.

"I see you're still leeching off the rich girl."

"Unlike you, some people like to show they care for people." Janis scoffed before grabbing my arm and pulling me to the back yard.

"What the fuck?" I demanded when I got out there.

"I know, I know." Cal nodded. "Jennie ran into her at the pharmacy and she invited her over."

"Momma was at the pharmacy?" I asked and he shrugged.

"She said she was getting her birth control, but-"

"Ew, god!" I groaned. "I don't wanna think about her having sex, it's bad enough knowing she had to do it to conceive me, but really?" I whined and Cal laughed.

"You really believing that Immaculate Conception crap she told you?" he asked as he threw his arm around my shoulders.

"God, anything is better than thinking of her naked." I told him and he groaned as his arm dropped from my shoulders

"You are such a bitch."

"Yeah, think of it as payback for me having to babysit Daryl the other day." I pointed at him and he scoffed lightly.

"Shit, that's right." He nodded. "What happened to him? Last thing I remember is Merle leaving with Patty."

"Daryl slept on my couch."

"Oooh the cloud, how'd he like it?" he asked

"He didn't seem to hate it." I shrugged as I went to the cooler. Janis had made herself busy playing with Jennie's older daughter Gwen. Cal flipped a burger as I pulled a beer from the cooler and popped the top.

"Well Merle get back okay?"

"Yeah, Patty keeps talkin' bout him though. Apparently she thinks the two of them really clicked." I told him sarcastically.

"Jus' wait 'till he comes back in and starts picking up younger and younger girls. Patty'll realize she weren't nothin' but a warm up."

"Oh please," I scoffed. "She's gonna think they're the warm up, you know Patty."

"Ugh I know." He shook his head.

"So what's the deal with Merle anyhow?"

"Whatcha mean?"

"Well I know he was in for drugs, but he don't seem like the type ta make friends easy. Why's he like you?"

"We were cellies." He shrugged.

"So?"

"So, I dunno Elle," he shrugged. "So when Merle first got put in my cell, I'd been in for two years already and when he got in his first fight ain't no one came ta help him. There was five uh them, you know?" Cal asked as he flipped a burger. "I mean, he deserved it, but my last cellie had been a rapist, and I figured a drug addict was a little easier to handle, 'specially Merle, who was crude, but he was a tough sonuva bitch, so I stepped in. I helped him, and after that people didn't fuck with neither of us, you know?" he asked and I nodded.

"Sure."

"I know he ain't classy, and he's a crude sonuvabitch, but he's a good guy to have on your side."

"Sure," I agreed. "His brother too."

"I don't know much about Daryl. He's younger'n' Merle, and Merle's looked out for him his whole life." Cal explained.

"He's quiet, but he don't have a problem tellin' ya when he's upset," I told him. "And he's a tough sonuvabitch."

"How'd you know?"

"David Brentwood."

"Even after I told those little pricks to back the fuck off?" he demanded and I nodded. "I'm gonna kick their asses."

"Daryl took care of it." I told him and he frowned.

"Daryl shouldn't have to." He told me.

"Neither should you." I pointed out.

"Which is why you need to toughen up!" he shot back. "But until then, I'm all you've got." He paused as I fumed, squeezing my beer bottle. "What do you think of Daryl?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, what are you guys, friends or somethin'?"

"I dunno." I shrugged. "He offered to fix the Ambassador." I told him, referring to my 1970 AMC Ambassador station wagon. It had been Momma's car before she started driving the Dart.

"He thinks he can fix that huh?" he asked. "Well he can try." He shrugged and I nodded. "Burgers are done!" Cal shouted and soon Jennie, Fiona, Gwen, Janis and Momma were outside.

Momma hardly ate her food, choosing to pick at it and chain smoke instead. "So when are you gonna let me watch the kids?" Momma asked Jennie who looked at Cal panicked.

"We ain't." Cal said shortly as he took a bite of food.

"Well why not? They're my grandbabies."

"No they ain't." Cal told her. "They're Ramona and Steve's grandbabies. You ain't got no right ta see 'em."

"Cal-" Jennie hissed in discomfort.

"God you are just like your father." Momma growled.

"Oh you mean you know who he is?" he asked.

"Cal!" Jennie protested.

"I know he was an ungrateful sonuvabitch, just like you," she pointed a long slightly yellowing fingernail at Cal, before looking at me. "Just like the both of you." She shook her head. "But I know my grandbabies appreciate me." She looked at Gwen and Fiona. The girls weren't dumb so they just continued to eat their burgers and pretended like they hadn't heard what their kind of obviously strung out grandma was saying.

"I'll be right back." I got up and went to the bathroom. When I walked out of the bathroom Momma was standing there waiting for me.

"I need to talk to you." She told me and I sighed.

"How much do you want?" I asked.

"What makes you think it's money?" she asked.

"Please, you showing up for dinner out of the blue, you wanting to actually talk to me? It doesn't take a rocket scientist." I told her as I rolled my eyes. "How much?"

"Fifteen hundred." She told me and I scoffed. "It's for a good cause."

"What this time?" I asked.

"Rehab." She told me and I looked at her. "I've got a problem." She told me sincerely. "I need help."

"Yeah well, you needed help last time, remember?" I asked and her face darkened.

"You just don't want me to get better!"

"God momma, if you could see how fuckin' pathetic you are you'd realize who you ain't getting' money from us." I told her as I shoved past her.

"You ungrateful little bitch!" she shouted at me. "I raised you, I taught you everything you know!"

"You know what if you taught me everything I know, why is it you can't use none of them skills to get your fifteen hundred dollars?!" I shouted back at her. "Instead you've gotta go bustin' your kids balls for it! Well wake up sunshine, you ain't getting' no fuckin' money from me!"

"Fuck you!" she shouted before picking up a picture and throwing it at me. I moved out of the way, the picture shattered and fell to the floor and I looked down at the picture of Gwen in her latest school picture before looking back at Momma.

"You're so fucking pathetic." I muttered before turning to leave.

"Eliza, wait, you're right," she pleaded. "You're right, I'm pathetic, and I- I know I didn't mean to do this, it's just the drugs talking," she continued as she got on her knees and started picking up the glass. "I'm sick." She looked up at me. "I need your help."

"Even if I had the money…" I trailed off. "It ain't like I got fifteen hundred sitting around."

"What about the rich girl? Her parents have that kind of money."

"They do not." I shook my head. "Besides, they're still financing Janis' cousin's trip to Italy."

"What's more important Eliza?" she asked as she looked up at me from where she sat on her knees. "Some little rich Jewish kid getting to go to Italy, or someone who deserves it getting the help they need?"

"That ain't fair." I warned her.

"Neither is not being able to control what happens next in your life, neither is realizing you're the biggest failure, and realizing you've done nothing but push your kids away," she stood up. "I've done so much to hurt you Eliza, and I get it. I completely understand why you won't give me the money. I wouldn't even give me the money. It was stupid, forget I asked. She turned and walked out of the room leaving me standing there in Cal's kitchen, alone with her words echoing and rattling around in my brain.

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_**The way I see it having these characters still living, you guys get to see a little more of Lizzie's home life, or what used to be her home life, and her dealing with her mother who is an addict. It's rough on her because she never knows what to trust, which I think it part of what makes Lizzie hesitant to trust people. **_

_**I hope y'all enjoyed the chapter! **_

_**Please don't forget to review!** _


	3. Chapter 3

_**Hey y'all, I'm officially back in the writing groove. Thank you to everyone who was so patient while I was in the hospital and while I was recovering, I'm doing a lot better and I don't think I'll be trying anything like that again. Anyways, thanks again to all of you for the messages and reviews and well wishes, they really helped when I was in the hospital, my best friend called me and would read them to me over to phone and it gave me something to look forward to. **_

_**Anyways, I hope you enjoy this chapter! **_

_**Disclaimer: I don't own the characters from Walking Dead, I only own my characters!** _

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Sunday I was working at the Silver Spoon around three in the afternoon when Daryl walked in and sat down in front of where I was working. "Hey." I greeted him. "What's up?"

"I found the new connector cable." He told me.

"Really?" I asked and he nodded. "Awesome," I quickly picked up a glass and filled it as Patty looked over at us. "Let me know if there's anything else I can get you." I told him. He raised an eyebrow before looking at Patty. He picked up his drink and nodded to her and she walked into her office.

"Pretty dead 'round here." He looked around and I nodded.

"It'll pick up 'round fiveish." I shrugged. "Just in time for dinner."

"Didn't know y'all do dinner."

"Well, we only do for a few hours, the owners don't wanna have to deal with food that much, but they lost some business to the King County Sports Bar when they opened so we started doing burgers and stuff. Just from five 'till nine, and then it's strictly bar business." I explained.

"Well, if you get the key I can get started." He offered and I nodded. I got my ring of keys and showed him which one the car key was.

"Now, if you take 'er on a joy ride, if you screw up my radio stations, I'll kill you." I joked.

"You mean you'l have your brother kill me?" he retorted and I laughed lightly as he walked out of the bar.

About half an hour later I was taking a break. I walked outside with two beers and my cigarettes; Daryl was elbow deep in my engine and looked up as I walked over to him. "How's it going?" I asked and he stepped away from the engine.

"Nearly finished." He answered as I handed him the beer.

"How much do I owe you for the parts?" he paused and then shrugged.

"I ain't gonna charge you." He shook his head.

"No way, you said you'd charge me parts." I reminded him.

"Ain't worth chargin' you." He shrugged.

"Daryl, you gotta charge me somethin'." I protested.

"Well you gotta learn I ain't gonna charge ya." He replied and I huffed a sigh.

"Well at least let me buy you lunch." I offered.

"Ya ain't gonna give up are ya?" he asked.

"I got the same stubbornness as Cal." I replied and he rolled his eyes.

"Too soon to get a burger here?" he asked.

"Nah, our cook is here setting up, usually makes lunch for us around now anyway. How do you like it, burnt to a crisp or bloody as hell?" he shot me an amused look and I smiled lightly. "Same here." I nodded before going back inside. "Jack, let me get two burgers, bloody, and fries." I called to the chef.

When Daryl came back in I was putting his food down on the bar. He picked up the plastic red basket and then looked at the mostly empty bar. He nodded towards an empty table and I took my own food and joined him at the table.

* * *

A few weeks went by, the Ambassador was working better than it had in years, Daryl and Merle would come to the bar with Cal, and sometimes Daryl would come on his own, either way, I got used to working at the Silver Spoon and I got used to seeing the Dixons around quite a bit.

"You get tomorrow off?" Daryl asked me on one of those nights when he'd come in alone. It was a unusually slow Friday night, and I was wiping down the bar while Daryl sat to my left nursing a drink.

"Of course." I nodded. "I wouldn't miss the barbecue for the world."

"Can't believe Patty let ya off."

"Oh please, I give her all the rest of my free time." I shook my head.

"I was gonna say she's been calling you in a lot these days." Daryl pointed out and I nodded.

"Least she can do is give me my brother's damn birthday off."

"I didn't know it was his birthday." Daryl frowned and I nodded.

"Yeah he don't like lettin' people know he's getting old."

"Yeah don't we all." He muttered.

"Yeah, must suck for you old guys." I agreed and he shot me a look making me grin lightly.

"Ah, whatever little girl, you'll figure it out soon 'nough." He rolled his eyes and I laughed.

That Saturday Janis and I got up early and got over to the house, Janis all dressed up in a white dress with cherry blossoms all over it, whereas I was in my usual jeans, black tank top and flannel over shirt. When we got there Janis instantly started helping in the kitchen while I loaded up my car with some outdoor lighting and a bunch of camp chairs. I also threw in a six pack and pulled off of the gravel driveway and over the front grass to the hill to the right of Cal's house. I drove over the hill, and down the quarter mile to the lake where the barbecue was. This area had been a popular camping and barbecue area in the 80's and 90's, but after awhile people had stopped using it for the most part. Then Cal moved in right over the hill and started having parties over there, and it got some use again, but that was the extent of the use it normally got. The city didn't even pay to have the park lights turned on anymore, which is why Cal bought a generator and would put up his own lighting over there whenever he'd throw a party.

There was a big cement area with picnic tables and a large metal awning and a couple barbecues. Cal had dug out a fire pit and surrounded it with rocks and old bricks. He was cleaning out the fire pit, and stacking some wood in it when I pulled up. He walked over and waved to me slightly, before pulling the hatch open. I got out of the car and started pulling some of the lighting out.

"How's the intern?"

"Fine, whatever you do, don't ask about her nursing school director." I warned.

"Having a hard time?"

"He's a prick." I shrugged. "I offered to run him over but she wouldn't go for it."

"Weird how she wants to keep you from being like every other Mason and getting arrested before you're 22."

"I know, kinda boring, isn't it?" I asked and he snorted making me grin. I walked over to the picnic table area and started to hang the string lighting. "Hey, her folks might stop by." I called to him and he looked up at me.

"They're good people." He nodded.

About two hours later people had started showing up, some of them the guys from Cal's road crew, he was the supervisor, some of them were regulars from the Silver Spoon, and some were people Cal had known since high school, most of them brought their families, there was a huge group of kids running around, some of them going in the lake, some of them just rising hell like kids do when they get together.

I was currently standing at one of four crawfish pots Cal had going, waiting for the timer to go off when Daryl walked over to me holding two beers. "Hey." I smiled at him. "You made it."

"Said I would didn't I?" he asked and I shrugged.

"Known plenty'a guys who say one thing and do another." I replied.

"Known the wrong type'a guys." He replied before holding out a beer.

"That's probably true." I nodded as I took the beer. "So where's your brother?"

"Over by the cooker with Cal."

"Ah, yeah, that makes sense." I nodded as I saw Merle over by Cal, both of them with beers in their hands, talking about something, but not seriously talking from what I could see. The timer ringing caught my attention and I looked down at the boiler. "Mm, help me with this." I gestured to it and we both put our beers down. I handed him an oven mitt and opened the top of the boiler, we both grabbed a handle and lifted the large steamer basket out. I flipped my hair from my face as we carried the basket over to a large aluminum boat Cal used for the crawfish. We leaned it on the side, and Daryl, using the oven mitt still pushed the bottom up, emptying the contents of the basket to the boat. "God damn." I laughed and looked at everything in the boat.

"Comin' up behind you!" someone hollored and I looked behind us and moved as two of the guys from the crew, Enos and Hoyt cam up with another steamer.

"That's what I call good eats." Hoyt grinned when they had emptied the contents of the pot. Two other guys were coming over with another pot and some people were starting to wander over.

"Here, look out Lizzie," Enos grabbed my elbow lightly and pulled me to the side. "God damn I can't imagine what Cal's spending on this party." He chuckled.

"Aw, you know he puts away a little every week all year for this. He loves it." I grinned and he nodded.

"Yeah that's true. So what about you Lizzie?" he asked looking over at me.

"What about me?" I asked looking at Enos. He was a nice enough guy, he had been a grade ahead of me in school and had worked with Cal since he was seventeen and I was sixteen, but he never paid me much attention when we were in High school.

"When you gonna let me take you out?" he asked and I raised my eyebrows in surprise.

"When were you gonna let me know that's what you wanted?" I asked and he grinned lightly.

"Well shit girl, I didn't think Cal'd take too kindly to me askin' out his kid sister."

"Oh and now it's okay?" I asked.

"Well," he stepped closer to me with a small smile. "You ain't exactly a kid anymore, are ya?" he asked before brushing a strand of red hair behind my ear. "What do you say Lizzie? Let me take you out?"

"Well…" I shrugged. "What did you have in mind?"

"This is major." Janis squealed when I told her. "Oh my god, I can't believe it!"

"Thanks Janni, good to know you, like everyone else, think I'm hopeless."

"Oh that's not what I meant and you know it." She swatted my arm. "But seriously though, I'm so excited for you."

"Hey you never know his brother may be single." I shrugged with a grin and she rolled her eyes.

"Whose brother?" we looked over as Janis' mom and dad walked over.

"Hey mom," she grinned as she hugged her mother.

"Hey baby." She greeted her daughter and then looked at me and grinned. "Come on Lizzie, bring it on in." she held out her arms and I laughed lightly before hugging her as well.

"Good to see you Mrs. W." I greeted her as she gave me a tight squeeze.

"Oh, you too honey." She pulled back and looked me over. "Well look at you, your hair got longer."

"Yeah, but it didn't get any less red." Mr. Washington joked and I stuck my tongue out at him making him laugh.

"So, whose brother?" Mrs. W asked.

"Lizzie's boyfriend." Janis nodded to me.

"Ohhh honey, you got a boyfriend?" she looked at me excitedly and Mr. W rolled his eyes.

"I'm going to get a drink." He shook his head.

"He's not my boyfriend." I told her as Mr. W walked away. "He literally just asked me out on a date."

"Oh but honey, that's a start!" she said happily and I shrugged.

"I guess. I mean, it's just dinner, you know?" I asked.

"You'll have to stop by the salon, I'll fix your hair up and get it looking pretty." She decided and I nodded.

"Okay." I had learned a long time ago it was best to just agree with things Mrs. W said to get her to drop it. But I'd probably end up at the salon if Janis got her way.

It was a few hours later I was helping clean up a little, I had put almost all of the beers into one large metal cooler and was taking the other ones down to the lake to empty out the ice. I was loading some of the coolers into the truck when Cal walked over. "We're good, we're going to finish up tomorrow, why don't you chill out a bit?" he asked and I looked over at him.

"You sure?"

"Yeah, go hang out with Daryl. He's been looking a might worried since Merle finished off the last of that bottle of whisky."

"Oh great, throw me to the drunk Dixons huh." I asked sarcastically.

"Nah, Merle's fine. He's a little loud, but fine." Cal shrugged. "Now go do something, go on." He nodded to the fire pit and I rolled my eyes but walked over to the fire pit. Daryl was sitting a little ways away from the fire pit, keeping his eyes on his drunk brother who was talking to some of the guys from Cal's road crew who were still there and just as drunk as Merle was. The fire illuminated Daryl's face, which turned to mine as I walked over holding two beers.

"How you doin'?" I asked as I walked over to him. He watched as I pulled a camp chair over next to him and then plopped down in it.

"Talked to Janis for a little bit." He told me and I nodded. "Her old man too. Said you used to live with them."

"Yeah when shit got too rough with my momma I'd stay over there, then when I turned eighteen I got into a huge fight with her, she threw me out, I guess she wanted me to still be dependant, but I moved in with the Washington's, and never went back." I explained.

"Then you an' Janis got yer place?" he asked.

"When we were nineteen, almost twenty." I nodded.

"What was your fight about?" he questioned and I scoffed.

"Money. Same as always." I rolled my eyes as I tipped my beer towards my mouth. I took a drink and then looked at him. "What about you?"

"What about me?" he scoffed.

"Well I know Merle, but what about the rest of your family?" I realized that was the wrong thing to ask because his shoulders stiffened, his jaw clenched and he looked away from me. "Forget it."

"My momma's dead, ain't spoke to my dad since I was 'round your age." He told me and I scoffed.

"You keep saying shit like that, how old are you?" I asked and he looked over at me, probably grateful I changed the subject.

"Old enough." He tipped his beer towards his lips.

"Oh, well, "Mr. Old Enough", that ain't a number."

"Girl you don't need no number to know I'm older'n you." He replied and I rolled my eyes.

"Okay so you're forty." I shrugged and he choked on his beer.

"Do I **look** forty?!" he asked in surprise and I laughed lightly.

"Shit, gimme a number and I'll forget all about it."

"Hell no."

"You keep sayin' no, I'll keep callin' you forty." I shrugged and he sighed.

"Why's it matter?"

"Because you won't tell me." I replied and he looked at me darkly.

"Ya ain't gonna give it up are you?" he asked.

"Nope." I replied, popping the 'p'.

"I'm thirty." He sighed.

"Aw, see you ain't that old."

"I'm older'n you." He replied.

"Well shit, so're most of the people here, that don't stop me from hangin' round them do it?" I asked and he looked over at me.

"Guess not." He replied and I scoffed lightly.

"D'you really think I'd stop hangin' round you because'a how old you are?"

"That or Merle." He admitted as he nodded to Merle who was working on another bottle of whisky.

"Merle don't scare me." I told him lowly. "Best not tell him that though." I winked and Daryl grinned lightly.

"Lizzie, oh, shit," Janis came drunkly stumbling over to me, and tripped on a gopher hole but caught herself before she fell. "I'm good, don't worry."

"We didn't." I told her dryly and she nodded. "What's up?"

"Don't be mad, but I assidently got drunk." She told me, slurring her words.

"Yeah I see that, you're a hot mess." I told her and she laughed.

"You're funny, Daryl, isn't she funny?" she laughed.

"Hilarious." Daryl said dryly and I elbowed him with a smile. He smirked lightly and I stood up.

"Come on Blondie." I walked over to her and wrapped my arm around her waist. "Let's get your drunk ass to the couch."

"No, I don't wanna go to the couch." She whined and I rolled my eyes.

"Yes you do." I told her in my best "Mom" voice like she liked to do to me. She pouted and I wrapped my arm around her waist. "Come on drunkey."

"Here," Daryl put his beer down and walked over to us. "Come on Janis." He lifted her up, over his shoulder making her laugh. "Where we takin' here?"

"Back to Cal's 'till I'm good to go." I told him and he nodded before carrying her over to the Ambassador. He put her in the back seat making her giggle and salute him before laying back on the seats. He moved her legs over slightly and shut the door. "Thanks, it's a lot easier handling drunk Janis with someone else around." I admitted and he shrugged.

"I know how it is." He nodded towards Merle and I sighed.

"Yeah I imagine he could be quite a handful." I agreed. "I'll be back in like ten minutes, I'm just gonna get her settled at Cal's." I told him as I opened the driver's door to the ambassador. He opened the passengers and I raised an eyebrow.

"Could still be a problem when you get over there." He pointed out and I nodded. He got into the car and we drove over to Cal's, when we got there he helped get her out of the car and carried her into the front door. I held it open for him and he walked in, plopping Janis down on the couch. "She gonna be okay here?" he asked.

"Sure, this happens every year since we were seventeen."

"Cal let you kids drink at seventeen?" he asked and I scoffed.

"Oh whatever old man." I joked. "Like Merle wasn't buying you drinks when you were a kid."

"Maybe he was." He joked and I smiled.

"Yeah I can't see Merle as the greatest influence." I told him and he scoffed lightly.

"Hey, Daryl," Janis opened her eyes and raised her hand.

"Yeah?" he looked at her.

"If you're gonna kiss her, you'd better do it quick, 'cuz she's got a date this week." She told him and then lowered her hand. He looked over at me and then back to Janis.

"I like my girls old enough to rent a car." He told her before walking out of the house.

"Thank you Janis." I sighed.

"I love you." She smiled at me and I nodded before I covered her with a throw blanket. Jennie walked out of her room to see what was going on and then walked back into her room when she saw us, knowing it was just me taking care of Janis' drunk ass.

"Daryl," I called when I walked outside. He was walking back to the party. "Forget about her, she's drunk." I told him.

"Why would it matter?" he asked as I caught up to him.

"Look, I dunno why everyone keeps assumin' we're a thing, okay?" I asked. "I'll tell 'em to lay off of you if you want." He paused before looking over at me.

"Yeah." He nodded. "Do that."

"I will." I told him. "Jeeze, still friends?"

"Sure Liz, still friends." He agreed before we walked back to the party.

* * *

**_Oh man, could it be, Daryl Dixon just got friendzoned. But then again, it's not like he's ever made a move, is it? What do you guys think? Think this thing with Enos will last, or will Daryl scare him away? _**

**_Thanks for reading, and please don't forget to review!_ **


	4. Chapter 4

_**Hey y'all, and welcome to chapter four! There's not a whole lot of Daryl in this chapter, I mean, there is some, but not the way you guys want it! This chapter is the date with Enos. Will it go bad? Or even worse? Will it go good? Read and find out! **_

_**Disclaimer: I don't own the Walking Dead characters! Just look at my bank account, that's all the proof you need.** _

* * *

"No way in hell." I told Janis sternly as she held up a, what she called, little black dress.

"But Lizzie-" she whined.

"No, no but Lizzie. Just because I'm going out does not mean this is an excuse for you to play dress up."

"But it's a first date." She protested.

"Exactly, it's a first date, it ain't like we're gettin' married or nothin'." I told her.

"But Lizzie, everyone knows on the first date you show enough to make 'em interested, and cover enough to make 'em respect you!" she insisted.

"Who the hell knows that?" I asked and she huffed, throwing her hands in the air.

"People who go on first dates!" she shouted and I grew silent.

"Okay, it kind of makes sense." I admitted as I thought about it.

"Thank you."

"But not that one." I shook my head as she stepped towards me with the dress.

"What's wrong with it?"

"It's covered in glitter and shit. Glitter's your thing." I shook my head and she nodded.

"Okay, fine, no glitter." She agreed. "But we have to find something that looks good with your hair, ugh, why is red hair so hard to match with colors." She sighed and I subconsciously touched my hair.

Just like I had predicted Janis had coaxed me into the salon her mother worked at, out of this woman Lottie Pemberly's home. They had washed and set my hair in curlers before brushing it out and adding some sort of spray or gel or something to it to make it keep shape and called it beach curls.

"Don't mess with your hair." Janis told me sternly without turning around. I dropped my hand and glared at her lightly, but without really meaning it. She started throwing dresses onto her bed and was trying to get me into a purple one before there was a knock on the door.

"Oh fuck, he's early." I looked at the door and she shushed me.

"It's fine, it's fine," she told me. "Remember all the times you've had to awkwardly sit there with my dates while I make them wait? Like eighty percent of the time I was ready."

"Why make them wait?"

"Good things come to those who wait." She shrugged. "Now pick a dress and I'll go deal with him." She walked out of the room and I sighed before looking at the dresses on her bed. "Don't worry it's not him!" she called from the living room and I sighed, before turning back to the mess of dresses on the bed. After sorting through them a little I found a light blue dress that had no straps or sleeves or anything, I was about to scoff and throw it to the side when I paused and looked it over again.

It had this pattern of white and soft pink flowers over it. It had a small black belt that wasn't really for anything other than decoration, but for whatever reason really worked with the dress. The dress was pretty and feminine and everything I wasn't, and for whatever reason I couldn't put it down. I undressed and pulled the dress on and zipped it up in the back, before fastening the belt around my waist.

I almost hated to admit it, but it looked perfect against my tanned skin, and long legs. It gave me the appearance of a figure, something Janis always said I had a nice one, but if you asked me I'd say my hips were a little too wide, but Janis said my waist was small enough it gave me an hour glass figure. I was a little bit bustier than Janis so the dress was a little tight around that area, but aside from that I really liked it.

When Janis had gone to the living room to answer the door she put on a big smile and took a breath before opening the door. "Oh- Daryl." She looked surprised at the redneck standing in the doorway wearing a pair of black sunglasses, stomping out his cigarette. "It's okay, it's not him!" she shouted to the bedroom before looking back at Daryl.

"What, she get in trouble with that cop 'gain?" he asked as he walked in, referring to the fact that there was these two cops in town who loved to give me and Cal a hard time and I had just gotten into a huge argument with one over how close I could stand to the door of the Silver Spoon while I was smoking a cigarette.

"Heh, no. Well, maybe, I don't know." Janis shrugged as Daryl walked over to the kitchen and helped himself to one of my beers like he had done plenty of times over the past few weeks. "Not that I really mind, but why are you here?"

"Bowling." Daryl replied as he popped the top off of the beer. That was what I heard when I walked down the hall to find Janis.

"Aw shit," I swore as I walked out of the hallway. "Was that tonight?" I asked.

"Uh, yeah." Daryl took off his sunglasses. "Little overdressed for bowling."

"Yeah, I know, and I don't want to hear it." I told him as I crossed the room and took his beer. I took a sip of it and he smirked.

"Wasn't gonna say nothing, 'sept maybe that you look like a girl for once, that's all." He shrugged and I shoved his beer back in his hand.

"I don't need this right now." I told him warningly. "Dress or not, I could still whoop your ass."

"And by whoop my ass, you mean have your big brother do it, don'tcha _girlie_?" he asked teasingly as he smirked and took another drink of his beer.

"Oh what, you want a demonstration _old man_?" I asked making him scoff and open his mouth to respond but Janis cut him off.

"Look, normally I'd be happy to let you two destroy the living room trying to prove you've both got balls or whatever this is all about, but she's got to finish getting ready before-" she was cut off by a knock on the door. "Lizzie, get in the bathroom, Daryl, answer the door, and be _nice_." She ordered.

"Yes ma'am." He replied before turning to the front door and opening it.

"Oh, I uh- must have the wrong apartment." Enos looked startled and then pulled a sheet of paper from his pocket and looked at it.

"Nah, Liz's in the back gettin' ready." Daryl told Enos as he looked him over.

"Oh, uh, thanks." Daryl held the door open a little wider, but Enos still had to slide uncomfortably close to Daryl to get into the living room. "So, are you uh, Janis' boyfriend?" Enos asked even though he knew there was no way in hell Janis would date a guy like this intimidating older guy that was staring at him through squinted eyes.

"Nah, I'm Cal's friend." Daryl told Enos as he walked over to the coffee table. He picked up his beer and flopped down on the couch in the middle Enos waited a moment before sitting down on the deep purple arm chair diagonal to the couch. The silence was tense, Daryl looking Enos over, and sipping his beer and Enos sitting there awkwardly, until he bravely broke the silence.

"Did Cal send you to intimidate me?" he wondered aloud. Daryl snorted lightly and then met Enos' brown eyes with his blue ones.

"Why?" he asked and Enos fidgeted for a moment.

"Because you're doing good job of it." He admitted.

"Daryl, I thought I told you to be nice." Janis chastised as she walked out with me. Both of the guys stood up when we walked out, Enos smiling and Daryl looking surprised.

Janis had done wonders with what time she had, using products that most of which I knew nothing about, but then she used some pale pink eye shadow with a little bronze and managed to blend it perfectly, she used a little mascara on my lashes and she covered my lips in clear lip gloss before telling me that simple was better. She had also insisted I wear a pink rose necklace and a pair of flat sandals since I vetoed her heels idea.

"You look-"

"Incredible." Enos smiled and I smiled lightly.

"Thanks." I shrugged with a small blush.

"Are you ready?" he asked and I nodded before he offered his arm. I walked over to him and slipped my arm through his before looking back at Janis and Daryl. She held two thumbs up, grinning excitedly.

"You guys have fun bowling." I said to them and Daryl scoffed lightly making Janis whack his shoulder.

"Thanks, you two have fun too!" she called as I shut the door behind me and Daryl. "God I hope she remembers everything I told her." She sighed.

"How much did you tell her?" Daryl asked looking at Janis.

"_Okay, remember, always wait for him to open and close doors for you," she was saying as she yanked a few hairs out of my eyebrows. I opened my mouth to protest and she cut me off swiftly. "I know it's stupid, and I know you can do it yourself, but let him do it, it makes them feel like gentlemen. No talking about hunting, or killing, no burping, no ordering steak- I don't care if he does it, ladies don't order steak- Or beer for that matter." _

"_So what the hell do I drink?" _

"_Wine, a cosmo. Something feminine." She sighed. "Remember, unless he says otherwise, he's paying for the date, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't reach for your purse." _

"_What's the point if he's paying?" _

"_You ever see how my mom always reaches for her purse even though my dad always pays? It makes dad feel like a gentleman and like he's in the proper role in the relationship. Let me see… Uh, no garlic, no onions, don't criticize his opinions, I don't care if they're the stupidest crock you've ever heard, no criticizing. And that goes for yourself as well. Don't criticize yourself, don't complain about your family-" _

"_Jesus Christ Janis, is there anything I am allowed to do?" I asked and she sighed. _

"_Be sweet and charming and interested in what he has to say, laugh at his jokes, even if they aren't funny, and most of all, be yourself." She smiled and I stared at her blankly. _

"I may have mentioned a few things." Janis shrugged looking at Daryl. "So, come on, we're going bowling right?"

"Sure. Go get changed and we'll head out." He nodded.

"What's wrong with this?" she looked at her short shorts and cute tee shirt.

"You ain't spent too much time with Merle. Go get changed, and we'll head out." He repeated and she pouted but went to her room to change.

"So where are we going?" I asked Enos as we got to his car, a new white truck. Seems most of the guys I knew drove trucks.

"Well I packed us a picnic." He nodded to the back seat and I looked at the picnic basket in surprise. "There's a movie in the park, I thought that would be fun." He smiled, looking pleased of himself.

"Oh…" I replied. "That sounds fun." I agreed.

"Great!" he grinned. "I hope you like Francis Ford Coppola."

"Um…"

"Don't worry it's not the Godfather. Can you imagine?" he sniggered and I smiled lightly. "No, it's the Black Stallion."

"Cool." I replied even though I had never even heard of the Black Stallion.

I have to say I was honestly surprised at the amount of people who showed up to watch The Black Stallion. People brought their kids and lawn chairs, though Enos didn't think to bring lawn chairs, rather he brought a picnic blanket, which was sweet, better than sitting on the grass, that was for sure.

The usual street lights in the park had been turned off and the movie was being screened on this giant inflatable screen. Enos made sure we got a good spot and I helped him lay down the blanket before he opened his picnic basket.

"Here, do you like this type of wine?" he asked as he handed me the bottle he pulled from his basket.

"Oh, uh, yeah. It's fine." I nodded as I handed the bottle back to him. At the silver spoon we had two types of wine. Red and White. And neither was ordered very often.

As the movie started we feasted on sandwiches cut into different shapes, raw veggies, fruit, and dark chocolate cupcakes with hearts on the icing. It all seemed very high school to me, but I kept my mouth shut, trying to concentrate on the movie. Enos had gotten up to use the bathroom at one point and when he came back he sat down right behind me and managed to get me so I was leaning back on his chest, and he had his arms wrapped around me. Rather than being sweet and romantic like it probably looked and he probably thought it was it was awkward and uncomfortable, and my left leg was starting to go numb, but because I was in a dress I couldn't cross my legs without flashing half the town.

Which really didn't bother me, but it wouldn't go well with my whole "Not a whore" reputation I was trying to build.

"Um, Enos," I looked up at him, speaking in hushed tones. "Do you want to go for a walk or something?" I asked.

"Wait, this is a good part coming up." He told me and I looked back at the movie. "Are you not having fun?" he asked and I shook my head.

"Honestly, I'm kind of freezing my ass off." I told him and he wrapped his arms around me even tighter.

"Better?" he asked in my ear and I grimaced.

"Um, not really." I answered honestly.

"Well… Let's go." He said as he let go of me.

"Are you sure? I mean, I don't wanna ruin it for you." I looked at him.

"I've got it on DVD. We can always watch it another time." He shrugged.

"I'm really sorry about that." I told Enos as we walked away from the crowd of people. "I just, sitting there with all those people, I wasn't never comfortable with a lot of people like that." I explained.

"No, it's okay." He told me. "I'm glad you were honest, I'd hate to make you have a bad time." He told me.

"Next time I promise I'll try to sit through the whole movie." I offered and he looked over at me.

"Next time?" he asked and I instantly turned pink.

"Well I- I mean if you want there to be a next time of course." I stammered.

"How about this, next time, you decide what we do, okay?" he asked, slipping his hand into mine. I smiled as I looked at our hands and then at him.

"Great, the bar it is." I said decidedly and he laughed.

"I always liked your sense of humor." He told me and I smiled lightly.

"Really?" I asked.

"Sure. I mean, it could be a little cruel at times, like when you put the cow manure in Olive Nelson's locker-"

"Hey, with a girl that full of shit, I figured it wouldn't make no difference." I shrugged and he shook his head with a smile. "Besides, they never did figure out that was me."

"No, but everyone knew it was." He reminded me. "No, but, that's something I liked about you, how brave you were, and your honesty, brutal honesty at that, but honesty."

"You like my honesty?" I asked and he nodded. "Okay, I'm not really a movie person." I sighed.

"Yeah, I kind of guessed that." He chuckled and I smiled. "So, is it the movies themselves, or, what?"

"Well, not really. I like the idea of movies, but I can't really sit still for that long. I mean, I can, when I'm in a pair of sweats and a tee shirt or something, but I dunno, I think the whole dinner and a movie thing is kinda cheesy. No offense."

"The Classics are classics for a reason!" he laughed and I shrugged. "But I can see where you're coming from. We'll just have to save movies for a day when we're snuggled up inside." He offered and I smiled. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Brutal honesty." I reminded him and he nodded.

"Yeah, uh, that guy, Daryl…" he trailed off and I looked at him.

"What about Daryl?"

"He's Cal's friend?" he asked and I shrugged.

"I mean I guess. I think Merle- his brother- is more of Cal's friend than Daryl."

"Merle's the one who was at Cal's party, the one who got really trashed and tried to stick his hand down your pants."

"That's Merle." I nodded.

"I nearly punched him when he did that." His grip on my hand tightened and I looked at him in surprise.

"Well shit if that bugs you, don't come 'round the Silver Spoon… Ever." I shook my head. "Happens all the time, I'm used to it."

"God, people are so disrespectful." He sighed. "So what do you want to do Lizzie?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, what do you want to do? I mean surely you don't want to be a bartender the rest of your life." He shrugged.

"I dunno, never gave it much thought." I answered honestly. "I just… Do what needs ta be done. What about you?"

"I'm going back to night school. Gonna take a few classes, get a degree, and get out of this town." He smiled.

"Well it ain't like town's that bad." I pointed out.

"No, it's not, but I'd like to go to Atlanta, you know? Do something big somewhere big."

"That sounds nice." I agreed and he smiled looking at me.

"You know, I've got to say, I'm glad you're so honest with me, because, well, I don't really have good luck with first dates, you know?" he asked and I looked at him curiously.

"How so?"

"Well, they're always so awkward. It's hard to get a first date right, and then the girl won't tell you what you did wrong, or if she even had a good time, not honestly anyway." He sighed. "I don't know, I feel like you're easier to talk to."

"Well, honestly, I ain't done this much," I admitted. "But, I think, far as first dates go, it coulda gone a lot worse. Coulda taken me to that place where they don't cook the fish."

"You don't like sushi, good to know." He nodded and I chuckled lightly.

When we got back to my apartment he opened the door to his truck and walked me to the door. I could see Daryl's truck in the parking lot so I leaned with my back against the door. "Well… Good night." I offered awkwardly.

"Would you mind if I-" he trailed off before leaning in and catching my lips with his. I inhaled lightly as he kissed me, his lips were soft, and his kiss was gentle and chaste. When he broke away from me he looked into my eyes eagerly. "Can I call you?" he asked and I nodded after a moment.

"Yeah." I smiled. He grinned and then kissed me again lightly before stepping back slightly. He paused at the stairs and watched me as I opened the door and I waved to him before walking into the living room.

Daryl and Janis were both there, laughing about something, beer bottles littering the coffee table. "I shit you not," Janis was laughing. "She opens the locker and all this manure we packed in there comes spilling out on the white dress, it was the most amazing thing I ever saw!" Janis laughed and Daryl was cracking up lightly.

"You should tell him about the time she stole all my clothes when I was in the gym shower so I super glued her to a toilet seat." I told Janis who looked up eagerly.

"You're back!" she gasped. "How did it go? Was it amazing? Will you see him again?" she asked frantically. I leaned against the arm of the armchair Daryl was sitting on and stole his beer and took a sip, mulling over what she had asked before I handed him the beer again, swallowed and walked out of the living room, answering only with:

"Yes."

"Yes? Yes what? You'll see him again?! Oh Lizzie, that's so exciting! Tell her that's exciting Daryl!"

"Finally managed ta catch a fella huh?" he asked dryly as he tipped his beer to his lips. "Good goin'."

"Thanks." I replied sarcastically. "Now I wanna hear how bowling went, but I'm gonna go change. I'll be right back." I told them.

"Fine, but you have got to tell us how your date went!" Janis called as I disappeared down my hallway.

* * *

_**Well shit, the date went well. What do you think of Enos? Think he's a genuinely nice guy? Think he'll last? He seems a little insecure about Daryl already, could that work in Daryl's favor, or work against him? Tune in next time for more! **_

_**Please don't forget to review!** _


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